A global survey reveals that countries in the Global South, particularly developing nations, demonstrate greater hope about climate change compared to European countries. The study indicates that hope is positively correlated with support for climate intervention technologies, revealing the need for diverse perspectives in climate change discussions.
A recent global survey encompassing over 30,000 individuals across 30 nations assessed perceptions of climate change and its emotional impact on people. This study, conducted by Aarhus University and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, focused on analyzing various “climate emotions” like hope, fear, anger, sadness, and worry from August to December 2022.
The findings revealed that the Global South demonstrated significantly more hope regarding climate change, with eleven out of the twelve most hopeful nations being developing or emerging economies, such as Nigeria and Kenya. In contrast, countries in Europe, including Germany and Sweden, were among the least hopeful, despite reporting fewer direct experiences with natural disasters.
Among these, Southern European nations like Spain, Italy, and Greece exhibited the highest levels of anger and sadness toward climate issues. Brazil was noted for displaying the most intense fear and worry regarding climate change among the study participants.
The study also examined the relationship between climate emotions and support for climate intervention technologies, crucially noting that hope, especially from the Global South, emerged as a significant predictor of support for various climate intervention methods. Fear and worry, while less influential, also correlated positively with support for intervention technologies.
Lead author Chad M. Baum emphasized the importance of these findings, stating that the divergence in climate emotions globally highlights the necessity of engaging with different perspectives on climate change and proposed solutions, particularly in the Global South.
The study highlights stark contrasts in climate emotions and perceptions across global regions, emphasizing that countries in the Global South exhibit significantly more hope regarding climate change than their European counterparts. This optimism correlates positively with support for innovative climate intervention technologies. Furthermore, the findings underscore the importance of acknowledging diverse emotional responses to climate change in shaping effective policy and interventions.
Original Source: www.technologynetworks.com
